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Building Services

“The reason we chose Khameleon back in 2002 was because it was the most flexible operating system that allowed us to job cost absolutely everything. No other software package we could find was as robust.”

Peter Kordus President, COO | BSI

Building Service, Inc., takes full advantage of Khameleon’s adaptive infrastructure and far-reaching scale to meet its ever-changing needs.

Building Service, Inc. (BSI) was one of the earliest adopters of Khameleon back in 2002. At Herman Miller’s urging, BSI explored Khameleon along with various other business software solutions, some tailored specifically to the office furniture industry and some not. “We explored everything that was out there,” Peter said. “If we didn’t feel that Khameleon was going to be our best investment, we wouldn’t have chosen it, despite Herman Miller’s influence. But it did everything we needed it to and more.”

Fourteen years later, the team at BSI can’t imagine doing business without Khameleon, and as they continue to evolve according to the industry’s fast-changing demands, Khameleon has adapted right along with them — and for them. “We continue to modify it all the time,” Peter said. That was another huge selling point back in 2002. The flexibility to add modules and modify functionalities is critical for a company with multiple divisions and locations across four different commercial interior services: Architect, Design, Construction Trades and Business Furniture.

Job costing done differently.

"The reason we chose Khameleon back in 2002 was it was the most flexible operating system that allowed us to job cost absolutely everything,” Peter said. Thanks to this functionality, which is powered by Khameleon’s Oracle backbone, BSI is able to understand its complete, internal costs at a level that wasn’t possible pre-Khameleon. While many dealers view warehouse expenses and installation services as overhead and charge a flat fee to cover the cost, BSI is able to track every single minute applied to every single bid and project."

“Whether we win or lose a job, all of the costs are accounted for,” Peter said. “Knowing your true internal cost helps you adjust your selling price. When we need to be more aggressive, we can be because we know down to the penny what it costs for us to do something.”

BSI’s accounting and customer service teams live and breathe Khameleon. “It’s vital to everybody doing their job, every day,” Peter said. The web-based functionality allows remote offices to stay connected and enables anyone anywhere to access the data they need instantly. Every single order is placed through Khameleon, and since implementing the software, BSI is 50 percent more efficient thanks to automation processes. “We couldn’t run the way we are without it,” Peter said. “Every other program we use pulls information from Khameleon.”

The Evolution Continues.

Speaking of other programs, BSI is in the process of customizing its Khameleon software even further by building custom scheduler and relationship modules that will make Khameleon an even more complete solution for office furniture dealers. They also continue to customize and improve on the already-robust reporting functionality.

And as for the famous Customer Top 10 program, Peter says it’s a unique way to improve your product — seeking collective input from the people who use it every single day. “There can’t be a better way.”

Effectively navigating today’s technology landscape requires a degree in computer science or software engineering. Words like compatibility, integration, interfacing and alignment can strike fear in the heart of any capable business professional. Khameleon’s certified partner network is comprised of industry leading technology and service companies that provide best-in-class capabilities that work with and complement Khameleon’s dealer business systems.